


Foul Play

by Alexander_L



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Garreg Mach Ball (Fire Emblem), Gen, Light Angst, No One Messes With the Ashen Wolves, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27220957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexander_L/pseuds/Alexander_L
Summary: It's the night of the Garreg Mach Ball and Hapi's just there for the snacks, Yuri is preparing to make a move on the woman he loves, Constance wants to feel some dignity again, and Balthus has a bet to win. So out of the shadows step the Ashen Wolves into the dazzling lights of the ballroom to try to mingle with all the surface-dwellers. What could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Hapi & Dedue Molinaro, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Constance von Nuvelle
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	Foul Play

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by the amazing YuriCoco stories written by [IamDaiBae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamDaiBae) whose portrayals of the Ashen Wolves are heartwarming, complex and lovable. Reading her stories always brightens my day and inspires me. I hope if you read this friend it brings a smile to your face too!

“Family huddle,” Yuri said as he jogged past Hapi on his way to round up Constance and Balthus. He didn’t pause but he shot her a smile and finger guns. “Be there!”

Hapi, who was fresh off a successful raid to the monastery dining hall and had her mouth blissfully full of some kind of jam-stuffed pastry, gave Yuri a “Mhmf!” of acknowledgement.

She made a detour to stash the remainder of her haul in her room, then washed her hands, brushed the powdered sugar from her shirt and headed over to the Ashen Wolves classroom where the others were assembled – Balthus staring off into space, Constance standing with her hand on her hip in full I AM CONSTANCE VON NUVELLE mode and Yuri sitting on one of the desks, swinging his legs back and forth and listening patiently.

“I have not graced the ballrooms of Adrestria only to be given pity invites to a common school dance like this! Instead of informing us so condescendingly that we are _allowed_ to attend, they should be begging us to attend!” Constance was exclaiming when Hapi walked in. She really was in high dudgeon about something. A ball? Hapi had no idea.

“Hey Haps,” Balthus said as she came in. “How was the dining hall?”

“Those Blue Lions girls were baking up a storm. I have a whole box of pastries in my room if you want some,” she said. “It’s good shit.”

Constance sighed. “Hapi dear, Yuri has brought us the news that we have been invited to the ‘grand ball’ this month.” She scoffed. “I doubt it is as grand as the balls the emperor used to throw in the royal palace of Enbarr, but it will at least offer some entertainment, I suppose.”

“And good food,” Yuri said, glancing at Hapi with an amused sparkle in his eyes. “You’ll come with me, right?”

Hapi sat down next to him on the desk and asked, “What kind of food are we talking about?”

“Those little quiches they bring around on plates?” Balthus asked hopefully.

“Yes, there will be hors d'oeuvres, Balthus,” Constance said with an impatient flick of her fan.

He sighed sadly. “I was hoping for those little quiches.”

“Those are hors d'oeuvres, you uncultured-”

“Friends!” Yuri said before Coco and B could really get going. As everyone looked at Yuri, he raised his hands and said, “Listen. We are going to go and have a good time and show that we Wolves-”

“Sorry, I’m not going,” Balthus interrupted. “I’ve gotta lay low for a while. I owe Alois money. But you’ll smuggle me back some snacks, right?”

“I gotcha, B. Don't worry," Hapi said with a nod and Balthus grinned back at her.

“Fair enough. But, you two are definitely coming with me,” Yuri said, looking at Constance and Hapi. “I don’t want to go without you.”

“Of course,” Constance replied emphatically. “We are a _pack_ , as you like to say. We would never abandon you to be a lone wolf, even though you have nothing to fear from those sheep.”

“I’m not afraid of hobnobbing with the nobles,” Yuri said. “I just don’t think it would be much fun without my two best ladies.”

Constance smiled at Yuri then proclaimed she was going to go practice hairstyles and practically skipped away. She might have felt a little outrage at the way the Wolves had been invited, but Hapi could see clearly how excited she was for the ball and it warmed her heart. Constance deserved some fun.

Balthus wandered away to go raid Hapi’s stash of pastries but Yuri made no move to get up and leave.

“You don’t want to go, do you?” he asked.

Hapi stared down at the floor. “If we’re going to make a good impression and prove that we Wolves are as cool as everyone else, I probably shouldn’t go. I’m not… good for our image. You and Coco go and give all those stuck-up surface dwellers the old razzle dazzle. If I go, I’ll just end up embarrassing you.”

“You heard the Shady Lady. We’re a pack. I’m not going without you.”

“You have to go. Chatterbox will be devastated if you don’t.”

Yuri frowned and glanced away from her teasing eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh come on. I know you want to dance with her.”

“I wouldn’t turn her down, but she is not the person I would ask if I had my first choice.”

“Oh? Someone other than Garreg Mach’s hottest professor caught your eye?”

“Yes, actually,” he replied.

Hapi stared at him in surprise. It wasn’t often that she was wrong. “Who’s the poor fuck who you have your sights set on then?”

But Yuri just smiled enigmatically and said, “Who indeed.”

Hapi shrugged. “Fair enough.” She hopped off the desk, heading for the door. “Goodnight, Yuri-bird.”

“Hapi, wait.”

She paused by the door and looked over her shoulder at him. “What?”

Every once in a while Yuri’s wry manner slipped away and he spoke with a sincerity that stunned Hapi. It was with this soft-spoken earnestness that he said, “You are never an embarrassment. Not to me, or to any of us. I’d be just as proud to have you at my side at the ball as I would a queen, okay? No more thinking you casting a bad reflection on us Wolves.”

Hapi opened her mouth to reply but no words came so she just scoffed at Yuri then ducked out of the classroom and wandered back to her quarters with a smile that she couldn’t quite hide. 

The weeks preceding this grand ball nonsense were at least amusing for Hapi. There was the excellent entertainment of sneaking up to watch the White Heron Cup with Yuri and Constance and snickering in the shadows as Felix Fraldarius won the competition to everyone’s shock, including his own, although he tried to hide his mortification and surprise behind a smirk. 

“Who knew he had it in him, huh?” Hapi said as the Ashen Wolves lounged around their classroom later that night, still laughing about the whole thing.

“Hmph. If we would have been allowed to participate I would have won for sure,” Constance said, probably trying to sound confident but coming off instead as a little melancholy. 

Hapi and Yuri both put their arms around her and sandwiched her between them in a hug that made her squeak in protest.

“You definitely could have beaten Ferdin-” Hapi began until Constance interrupted her fiercely.

“Do not even speak that name around me!” 

“Yeah, he says it enough himself anyways,” Hapi muttered.

“Cheer up, Shady Lady,” Yuri said, planting a playful kiss on the side of her head, causing her to swat him away with her fan. “You are going to make all the contestants eat their hearts out when they see you waltzing around the ballroom next week.”

“You know, I won the White Heron Cup in my academy days,” Balthus said off-handedly, staring into the dregs of his mug of ale.

All eyes turned to him in astonishment.

“Are you shitting me, B?” Hapi asked.

“What?” he said defensively.

“You can dance?”

“Well, I wasn’t as muscly back then. I was… slim. I didn’t hit my growth spurt until the next year,” he admits.

Yuri grimaced. “Graceful little Balthus waltzing around Garreg Mach, huh? What a terrifying mental picture.”

“Shut your mouth, kid,” Balthus said, picking up a pencil from the desk and throwing it at him. “I was a hero that day in the Golden Deer. Everyone expected the older Fraldarius boy to win. I guess those Fraldariuses have dancing in their blood.”

“Prove it,” Yuri said with a wicked grin. “Come to the ball and dance with me.”

“Told you: I can’t,” he replied.

Yuri shrugged. “Guess it’s all just talk then.”

Hapi caught on and said, “I’ll bet you twenty gold that he made the whole thing up.”

“I’m not taking that bet. I don’t believe him,” Yuri replied.

For one long, tense moment Balthus tried valiantly to not take the bait. Then he broke and said, “Make it forty gold and I’ll take your bet and prove you wrong.”

“Deal,” Yuri and Hapi said in tandem. 

Constance sighed. “You are all insufferable and ridiculous.”

“Yep,” Hapi agreed, squeezing Coco in a hug again and finally provoking a smile from her. 

The evening of the ball was a different story altogether.

Balthus was dripping blood all over his only nice shirt after stabbing himself on accident with a sewing needle while trying to reattach a couple buttons to it, Yuri was nowhere to be found, and Constance was crying in Hapi’s arms.

“I am not going,” she insisted for the tenth time. “I cannot go if I am going to look like _this_! I cannot have the glory of House Nuvelle disparaged because all of my stockings have holes in them and my shoes have been out of style for three seasons at least.”

“Sshh,” Hapi soothed, rubbing her back in small comforting circles. “No one’s going to be looking at your shoes. They’ll be too busy staring at your beautiful face.”

“You do not understand! Things like the length of skirts and color of buttons might not matter to us but to nobility they are a mark of status! I would rather not go than go and be scoffed at! I cannot bear to cast further shame across the name Nuvelle with my… my…” Constance sobbed and choked out, “shabbiness!”

Hapi’s heart fell and she looked at Balthus pleadingly for help but he shrugged, staring at Constance in concern but utterly at a loss for what to say too. Meanwhile, he dripped more blood across the shirt he was mending because he was too distracted by Constance’s sorrow to think to heal up his finger.

Although she took pride in her appearance, always keeping her hair shining and skin clean, Hapi did not care much about what was fashionable or not. She wore the clothes she wore because she liked them. They were comfortable and she thought she looked attractive in them. That was all there was to it. She knew none of the other students dressed like her, but she also didn’t see why that mattered.

But as Constance cried and stammered out her disconsolate words, Hapi began to understand. This wasn’t about whether the hem of her skirt had lace or not or whether pastels were in style this season. It was about dignity – a thing that Constance had been raised to value only to have ripped from her hands through no fault of her own.

Hapi understood dignity and the loss of it, understood on a deep, painful level the feeling of being shunned as an outsider.

So she held Constance tightly in her arms and stroked her hair. She didn’t know what to say. Hapi wasn’t one for empty promises and she wasn’t going to bullshit Constance by telling her that things like this didn’t matter and everyone would love and admire her no matter how she looked. All she could do was hug her and let her cry her tears.

A disapproving sigh made the three of them look up and see Yuri leaning in the doorway, a large package in his hands. “Sitting around being miserable on the day of a party?” he said. “That’s not how it goes. We should be practicing our dancing and touching up our makeup and getting preemptively drunk with the wine I nicked from Manuela’s secret stash!”

“I am not going,” Constance said, sniffing and wiping tears from her red-rimmed eyes with such a dejected aspect that Hapi would have sworn she was standing in full sunlight.

Yuri looked Constance over and Hapi could tell he knew exactly what was going on. But instead of addressing Constance’s woes, Yuri walked over and placed the package down on the bed next to them. “Special delivery for Lady Constance von Nuvelle and Miss Hapi von Timotheos,” he said with a little bow.

“What is this nonsense? Yuri, I told you, I am not-” Constance began but paused with a gasp when Hapi ripped open the packaging to reveal two dresses.

They were black with gold decorations everywhere, long sleeves and skirts, and a high-collared neck with a little cape to attach to the shoulders and back of the dress. To be perfectly honest, Hapi thought they were pretty ugly. But as she picked one of the dresses up and felt the high-quality material of it, she understood its value. It felt like a dream, the crisp satin exterior a satisfying contrast to the feather-soft lining inside. She especially liked the velvet sleeves and cape and she couldn’t help but smile when she ran her fingers over the wonderful texture of it.

These were the clothes of a noble.

Hapi looked up at Constance and saw fresh tears in her eyes, but of a different kind. 

“Where did you get these?” she whispered, touching one of the golden tassels with awe.

“I didn’t steal them, if that’s what you think,” Yuri said. “They’re a gift.”

Constance stiffened. “A handout.”

“No,” Yuri said, sitting down next to her and tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “A gift. The school is enforcing dress codes this year and have issued these for all the students to wear. Apparently there was some kind of _incident_ last year with some silver chiffon that went completely see-through when water spilled on it. Anyways, Byleth made sure to pick up some for us.” Yuri took one of the dresses and held it up against Constance to judge whether it was the right size. “You’d better hurry and try these on. I might have to alter them a bit and that’ll take time.”

“I’ve got some thread,” Balthus offered, holding out the bloodied spool and needle.

Yuri swore under his breath and cast a quick healing spell on Balthus’s fingers. “Go wash the blood out and bring it back. I’ll fix the buttons for you.”

“I don’t get a fancy uniform?” Balthus asked.

“No, you’re not a student. Sorry,” Yuri said. 

“Oh thank the goddess,” Balthus said. “I wouldn’t wear that if you paid me.”

He left and Yuri helped Constance and Hapi on with their dresses, fussing over the myriad of buttons and clasps and tassels until every detail was perfect. Then Yuri hissed, “Hold still!” impatiently and examined the fit of the dresses. “Alright. I should be able to do these alterations in time.”

“What can we do to help?” Hapi asked as she carefully extricated herself from the dress and handed it to Yuri.

“Bring water and snacks. My mother always said that you should never go to a party on an empty stomach or you’ll get tired too early.” 

“Snacks. Got it,” Hapi said.

Constance bounced over eagerly to help her fetch some and as they walked to the kitchen in the Wilting Rose, she chattered with restored enthusiasm about the ball. Hapi listened to her with a soft smile and promised herself that even if it felt awkward she would make sure to thank the professor for this. The formal uniforms might not be the high fashion ensemble of Constance’s dreams, but they leveled the playing field perfectly. Now no one would look out of place. They would all be equally ridiculous together.

“Yuri, you… you look-” Constance winced, it apparently causing her physical pain to feed Yuri’s ego. “-very tolerable.”

“Thanks, Shady Lady. You look pretty tolerable yourself,” he replied with a wry smile.

But Hapi, if she knew how to give a sincere compliment without it feeling weird, would have described Yuri as _stunning_.

Yuri had been allowed an exception, along with Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri, to wear his house leader uniform. Hapi had seen Yuri in it many times, for although he opted to wear sensible armor in Abyss, he always donned the fancy outfit when he went up to the surface to interact with anyone in Garreg Mach. But tonight Yuri had polished up the silver chains and buttons, cleaned the white cape and boots flawlessly, and strapped a ceremonial sword to his belt and suddenly Hapi was struck with how elegant the outfit truly was. Yuri’s makeup was perfect too and his long lavender hair was perfectly styled and shone in the glowing lights of the entrance hall.

Hapi smoothed the flyaway strands of her own hair self-consciously. Next to him and Constance, she felt rather plain and scruffy, for Constance looked like a dream too, radiantly and elegantly beautiful. But as Yuri took one of her hands and Coco the other and they walked together towards the ballroom, Hapi felt at home once again.

She was here for her friends, she reminded herself. Her goal tonight was not to fit in. It didn’t matter if people welcomed her or not. Her goal was to make sure Constance had a wonderful night like those she grew up having in Adrestria, and to make sure that at some point Yuri finally asked whoever it was he was pining over to dance. 

“I’m gonna snag one of those quiches, win my bet, and then I’m out of here,” Balthus said and Yuri laughed.

“Who are you going to dance with?” he asked.

“Shit…” Balthus murmured under his breath. “Didn’t think about that. Maybe Hilda would throw me a bone and-” He snapped his fingers suddenly and said, “I’m gonna ask Professor Manuela. I bet she’d say yes.”

“That, my friend, is a fantastic idea,” Yuri said, punching Balthus lightly on the arm. “Go sweep her off her feet!”

“Quiches first,” Balthus replied.

“Quiches first,” Hapi agreed.

Although she hadn’t told Yuri or Constance this yet, she had no intention of dancing, and it wasn’t out of any antisocial whims. She simply didn’t know how. Sure, she could kick up her heels in the Wilting Rose on the nights they got a few bards to play a tune. But a formal dance like the ones nobles did? Hapi had no idea how to do that and no intention of embarrassing herself.

She would stick to sampling the food, maybe making a little small talk with Freckles if he was around. If all else failed, she was sure Byleth would be hiding in some corner being her usual quiet self and she could always chill next to her in uncomfortable silence.

“Quick family huddle,” Yuri declared, ducking into the shadows outside the ballroom doors. The rest of them followed and slung their arms around each other’s shoulders, leaning in to speak quietly enough no one would overhear them.

“There are some rules for parties like this,” Yuri said. “No sulking in the corner or staying sober. We’re going to have fun, damn it. No going to the bathroom alone, no falling in love because it’ll just be the champagne talking, and no going home with Sylvain Gautier.”

“What? Ew!” Hapi protested and Constance whacked Yuri with her fan.

Yuri gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, everyone says that at the start of the night. But trust me: give him a little time and you might end up losing your common sense. His charisma is-” Yuri stopped talking and floundered for a split-second in embarrassment, then said quickly, “Nevermind. Just look out for each other, okay? We got this, Wolves. Let’s go knock ‘em dead!”

“Go Wolves!” Balthus said and clapped them all on the back then broke the huddle.

“Balthus,” Yuri said. “You are allowed to break one rule. I give you permission to fall in love with Manuela tonight.”

Balthus looked a little intimidated at the idea. “Hey, bro, no one said anything about falling in love or anything! I just said I’d ask her to dance.”

“Well, you’re a grown-ass man and can do whatever you want. Except fuck Sylvain Gautier. That’s still off limits.”

“Yeah, no worries on that front. I’m good,” Balthus said.

“Okay. Let’s go,” Hapi said, feeling pleasantly bold. Steeling her nerves and straightening her posture, she opened the doors to the ballroom.

Instantly, she was drowned in light and noise too overwhelming to process. Everywhere around her were people, talking, laughing, drinking, eating, flouncing about in their fancy uniforms. The eyes of the nearest groups of people turned to the Ashen Wolves when they entered the room and in that moment, Hapi felt more terrified than she had any time she’d stared straight into the bloody jaws of a demonic beast.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she swore under her breath so quietly she knew no one could hear her. But her panic must have been evident on her face because before she could freeze or flee, she felt an arm slip around her, steadying, comforting, supportive. She glanced over at Yuri and he smiled at her. She smiled back, courage rallying, and took another step forward.

“No one’s dancing yet,” Balthus remarked, surveying the room from his tall vantage point. 

“Tell me we are not early,” Constance begged Yuri. “Tell me you did not bring us here _early_!”

“We’re not early,” he reassured her.

“We are supposed to be fashionably late.”

“Late is out of fashion. Right on time is the new trend and we are, as always, perfectly on trend,” Yuri replied. “Dancing will start in- Ah, look over there!”

Sure enough, the musicians were assembling and raising their instruments to play. As the first notes of the introductory music rang out over the pandemonium in the room, everything quieted and the students cleared towards the edges of the room to make space for a large circle in the middle in which to dance.

“That’s my cue,” Yuri said. “House Leaders are supposed to start the dancing off. Look, there’s Edelgard and Dimitri now with their partners. I better get out there.”

Across the room, Claude appeared out of nowhere to wink slyly at Byleth and sweep her out onto the dance floor. That was a shame. It would have made Yuri the envy of the whole school if he’d asked the professor to dance with him.

“The music’s starting!” Constance whispered at Yuri. “Get out there! Who were you intending to dance with?”

“You,” he said, grabbing her hand and yanking her towards the floor. “Show time, Shady Lady.”

Startled, she dug her heels in for a second and shook her head at Yuri with wide, panicked eyes. He shot her a dashing smile and she gave in, allowing him to lead her out onto the floor. Dancing alongside three future monarchs while in the arms of the infamous Yuri Leclerc was probably not how Constance wanted to start her night but you would never know by looking at her. She was the perfect picture of poise and nobility.

Hapi’s heart warmed with pride as she watched her friends join into the pattern of the dance seamlessly. Yuri, of course, danced like he was born to do so, glowing under the ballroom lights like an angel, and Constance matched his steps with an exquisite grace that earned her quite a few admiring and envious looks from the students watching. 

“Wow, will you look at them?” Balthus whispered. “No one’s ever gonna look down on the Wolves again with them out there dancing alongside kings and queens like they belong there.”

Hapi knew it was by no means that simple. She knew that one moment of respect was not going to undo months of gossip, censure, and harassment. But the sight of Yuri and Constance made her so pleased she decided there was no reason to remind Balthus of the harsh realities of life. He looked happy. Yuri and Coco looked happy. That was all that mattered.

“Okay, I’m gonna go find Manuela. Wish me luck,” Balthus said.

Hapi punched his arm. “Don’t let it come down to luck, B. You have the worst luck of anyone I’ve met. Thankfully, I don’t think you’ll need it.”

He grinned and slipped away through the crowd as discreetly as a man his size could. Left abruptly alone, Hapi looked around until she caught sight of tables full of food in the back of the room. Most of the students were either joining in the dance, eagerly searching for partners or watching, and there were only two people standing around near the food.

Filling up a plate with hors d'oeuvres, Hapi searched for a place where she was pretty far away from everyone but still had a view of the dancing. The only such spot was currently occupied by Dedue, who Hapi recognized but had not formally met yet.

She strolled over to stand beside him and stood on her tiptoes to watch the dancing. 

“You’re Dimitri’s best friend, right?” she asked.

For some reason, Dedue looked taken aback by the question. “I am His Highness’s retainer,” he replied in a deep, stoic voice.

The polite thing would have been to ask who she was in return. Or to comment on the dancing. Or to say… well, anything. Hapi wasn’t an expert on manners, but she figured Dedue’s grim silence was about as polite a _fuck off_ as he could give.

“Cool,” Hapi said, rankled by his rudeness. “I’m Yuri Leclerc’s retainer. I heard this is where the retainers hang out. After all, the Bert is lurking up a storm nearby too.”

Dedue gave her a curious look but asked no follow-up questions and promptly returned his attention to watching the dancing with an impassive expression.

Deciding to write him off and just focus on the food, Hapi picked one of the long-anticipated quiches off her plate and raised it to her lips but at the last second Dedue shot her a concerned look and said, “No, please don’t eat that.”

“What? Why?” she asked.

He glanced around the room quickly as if to make sure they weren’t being overheard then leaned in closer to whisper, “They’re horrible. Not a pinch of seasoning, even salt.”

Hapi sniffed it, noted its disgustingly bland smell, and set the quiche down. “Ugh. Thanks, man. That was a close one.”

“I recommend the chocolate strawberries. They are in season and sourced from local farms. Quite delicious,” Dedue said.

Hapi picked one off her plate and took a bite, her eyes closing with bliss as the sweet flavor of the strawberry burst in her mouth, mingled with the rich bitter taste of dark chocolate. “Damn that’s good.”

She opened her eyes to see a hint of a smile on Dedue’s lips. The little interaction softened her opinion of him immediately. Maybe he wasn’t rude. Maybe he was just quiet like Byleth. And, like Byleth, really sweet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hubert watching her and Dedue with a frown, his one visible eye keen and suspicious.

“What’s Hubert’s problem?” she asked Dedue. 

“Hubert has many problems,” Dedue merely answered but this time the dryness in his tone made Hapi laugh.

“That’s one way to put it,” she agreed.

Hubert’s nosy staring was starting to bother her and Hapi decided that tonight was a night for bravery and a night she was going to face things head on.

“I’m going to go ask him,” she said.

Dedue gave her a courteous nod goodbye and Hapi made a mental note to find him again later because he seemed like someone she could be friends with. 

Sidling over to Hubert, who immediately pretended he had not been watching her and fixed his unsettling gaze on the group of dancers instead, Hapi said, “What’s up, Hubert?”

He did not even acknowledge her presence.

Hapi stepped closer. “Have you tried the quiches? I hear they’re really good.” She held out hers and to her astonishment Hubert’s eyes lit up smugly.

“I knew it,” he said. “I knew they were poisoned since Dedue was making sure none of the Blue Lions ate them. If this is some trick from those Faerghus imbeciles to try to embarrass Lady Edelgard, I swear that they will regret-”

A shot of terror spiked through Hapi as she realized that a couple of wrong jokes and she just might accidentally start a feud between Faegrhus and Adrestria. 

“Only one way to find out,” she said quickly, noticing Ferdinand von Aegir walking past them with a nervous but fiercely determined expression, no doubt on his way to ask some poor soul to dance. “Hey, von Aegir!”

“Hello, Hapi!” he said, greeting her with an exuberant grin that honestly would have been cute if it weren’t for the fact that Hapi was sworn to dislike him on principle for hurting Constance’s feelings so thoughtlessly. Ferdinand’s gaze drifted to Hubert and his tone was far less cordial as he said, “Good evening, Hubert.”

“Here, try one of these!” Hapi said, handing one to Ferdinand.

Maybe it was just because he was eager to get on her good side because of his ceaseless attempts to reconcile with Constance, but he accepted it with an awkward look and took a bite. He kept his polite expression for a second then he gagged a bit and forced himself to swallow it with a disconcerted expression. “How, um… chewy. Thank you, Hapi! Enjoy the food! Perhaps you will honor me with a dance later?”

Hapi gave him a noncommittal smile and he dashed off to soldier on with his mission to find a partner. “Well, we’ve determined that it’s not a fast-acting poison at any rate,” Hapi said to Hubert, watching Ferdinand’s unfaltering steps and bright smile.

She heard a low chuckle and glanced over in surprise to see Hubert smiling – well, not _smiling_ smiling but there was an ominous sort of quirk to the corner of his lips that was kind of like one.

“I see we share a common antipathy and questionable methods,” he replied.

Hapi wondered, with both concern and amusement, if she had just potentially made another friend.

“He said something that upset my best friend,” she explained.

“A grievance no doubt shared by many at Garreg Mach,” Hubert muttered.

A moment of awkward silence passed between them that Hubert eventually broke by saying, “I would not normally believe such a preposterous rumor that a person would have the ability to summon demonic beasts, but as Lady Edelgard has vouched for its truth I will accept that there are simply types of dark magic I do not yet understand. As such, I was wondering if you would allow me to-”

“Nope, not your lab rat, Bert.”

Hubert stiffened like Hapi had hit him with a thunder spell. “What did you call me?”

“How about Bertie? There’s already a Big B: that’s Balthus. But you can be Little B if you want.”

As Hubert leveled her with a truly murderous stare, Hapi kept a blank look on her face but internally she was cracking up. When you spent years locked away in solitude you had to learn to make yourself laugh. It was the only thing that made it livable. However, in retrospect, this might be why she didn’t have many friends.

The first song came to a close and Yuri and Constance left to find other partners. Across the room, Yuri caught Hapi’s eye and nodded towards the dance floor with a _‘Yeah?’_ expression. Hapi smiled and shook her head and Yuri shrugged to say _‘your loss’_ to which Hapi rolled her eyes.

Having now alienated Hubert, Hapi looked back at Dedue but he had slipped away into the crowd, hopefully to dance with someone. She hoped he had a good night. 

Standing on her tiptoes, she surveyed the room in search of anyone who might actually speak to her. Freckles was busy dancing with the young girl from Brigid and Constance had been asked to dance by a student Hapi didn’t recognize, but since Constance looked pleased she was happy for her.

Yuri was spinning wildly around the room with Dorothea, laughing and looking like he was having a grand old time. Balthus was still nowhere to be seen, which meant that the only people Hapi could count on speaking to her were busy.

Skirting around the edges of the room, she found a doorway to a balcony on the other side and snuck out onto it, taking a deep breath of the cool night air and feeling it soothe her soul a bit. Reminding herself that she shouldn’t expect to make any friends here, she brushed away the bit of disappointment that had stolen into her heart and walked over to the railing to lean against it and stare up at the night sky.

Maybe she would just stay here. It was a beautiful night and some good stargazing was as fun as any party anyways. 

Ten minutes later a couple students wandered out on the balcony, took one look at her and practically fled. Rolling her eyes, she returned her attention to the night sky.

Hapi wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the voices and music inside was starting to get louder and the longing in her heart harder to repress. Finally another person stumbled out onto the balcony and lo and behold who should it be but Sylvain Gautier, the man himself, hands all over some young woman and obviously seeking a spot of privacy.

Hapi expected him to flee as the other students had but instead Sylvain strode boldly over to the other side of the balcony, hardly a stone’s throw away, and although the girl looked disapprovingly at Hapi, she went along with him. As they proceeded to kiss and whisper sweet nothings to each other, Hapi shot Sylvain an annoyed look. While the girl kissed his neck, Sylvain looked over her shoulder at Hapi and smiled, making deliberate and incredibly seductive eye contact.

It was with a little alarm that Hapi felt a thrill of arousal race through her body. Suddenly she understood what Yuri-bird had warned them all about.

Time to go.

Venturing back into the ballroom, Hapi struggled for a moment with a tumultuous, suffocating feeling that felt like being buffeted by ocean waves. She drowned in the dizzying chaos for a long moment, anxiety making her heartbeat spike. Then she forced herself to take a deep breath. 

Standing on her tiptoes, she looked around to try to find any of her friends, but the other three Wolves were nowhere to be seen.

“Hapi!” Dorothea exclaimed, holding a champagne glass and smiling effervescently. For a moment Hapi felt a pang of jealousy at how merry and at ease she looked, like the noise and crowd and pandemonium was her natural environment.

“Come dance with me!” Dorothea said, holding out her hand.

Her kindness touched Hapi. Sure she was friends with Yuri, but she was one of the most popular girls in Garreg Mach and being seen with her should have been a cause of concern for her. The fact she was willing to even speak to her in public was a surprise.

“Thanks,” she said, forcing what she hoped was a friendly smile onto her lips. Her face felt frozen right now and the anxiety coursing through her mind made her too distracted to really think clearly. “Have you seen Coco- I mean, Constance?”

Dorothea glanced around the room. “I danced with her earlier, but I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“I’m, um… I’ve got to-” she stammered. “I’m going to go get some food. Uh... Sorry. See you later!”

She fled from Dorothea, silently berating herself at not taking her up on her offer. Blowing off someone being so welcoming when minutes ago she had been longing for someone to talk to was insane. But the idea of plunging into the middle of that crowd, of being looked at, being judged… 

Hapi shivered.

Ducking around groups of talking students, narrowly avoiding bumping into the servants circling around with trays of drinks, and pressing her way through the sea of people, Hapi tried her best to make it to the other side of the room where the doors were. She wanted to stick around and be there for her friends but she worried that if she stayed here any longer she would lose her cool.

People were scared of her enough as it was. The last thing she or the Ashen Wolves needed was for someone to find her hyperventilating in the corner having an anxiety attack and freak out because they thought she was about to summon an army of demonic beasts right into the ballroom.

And who fucking knew? Maybe she would. She didn’t fully understand her own powers. All she knew was that it helped when she kept a tight lid on her feelings and her composure. And it turned out loud, crowded rooms made it hard to do that. In retrospect, she probably should have seen that one coming. Spending half your life in a cage came with its fair share of neurotic consequences.

“Hapi,” a deep voice said behind her, making her jump. She turned around to find Dedue standing there with a grave expression. 

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Come with me,” he replied.

“What? Why?”

He turned and strode away, the crowd parting around him. Hapi followed, having to jog slightly to keep up with his long legs. As soon as they were free of the ballroom and the doors were closed behind them, Dedue explained, “I could not stand the noise so I went to the greenhouse. I saw your friends there. As Yuri Leclerc’s retainer I thought you would want to know. It appears they are in distress.”

Hapi’s heart leapt into her throat and she broke into a run through the huge halls of the monastery towards the courtyard and fishing pond. When she reached the greenhouse doors, she realized that Dedue was still with her, a few steps behind her.

“If there is anything I can do…” he began then trailed off awkwardly.

Hapi offered him a small smile. “Thank you.”

He gave her a formal, respectful nod and waited outside the greenhouse as she stepped in. The sight that met her eyes made her gasp. Yuri was sitting on the brick edge of the garden bed and cradled in his arms was Constance, soaking wet, her dress torn and her hair a tangled dripping mess. She was crying and mumbling distraught words while Yuri rubbed her back comfortingly and held her.

“What happened?” Hapi said, rushing over and kneeling down next to them.

Constance sat up and sniffed, wiping the tears from her face. “Some unconscionable ruffians assaulted me and now I am ruined! Mortified!”

“A bunch of boys threw her in the fishing pond,” Yuri explained. His expression was calm and voice low but in his eyes Hapi saw a cold, controlled ferocity that would have terrified most people but to her it was comforting. Yuri was not a forgiving man and anyone who laid a hand on his friends swiftly and ruthlessly learned to never do so again.

“Assaulted?” Hapi said. “Are you hurt?”

“I am uninjured but my dignity is in tatters even more than my clothes,” Constance said. She choked on a sob, hiccuped and threw her arms around Yuri, burying her face in his chest. Gently, he took off his cape and draped it around her.

“They will regret crossing me,” she mumbled furiously. “I would have obliterated all of those shameless brutes with a single hex were it not for a silence spell! Alas! I should have seen it coming. But I let my guard down. I…” She sniffed and her voice was husky with crying as she murmured, “was having such a good time.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuri replied. “If I had danced with you all night like I wanted to I would have been around to stop them.”

Constance laughed and hiccuped again, lifting her head to look at him with a scowl on her lips but a smile in her eyes. “You think I would dance with you all night? The audacity! It would be quite improper to dance repeatedly with one partner! Don’t you know anything of court manners?” 

“I do,” he said. “I just don’t give a damn.”

Constance’s smile finally reached her lips. Standing up shakily, she tried to brush the dirt off her soaked dress but the torn skirt just ripped further, exposing one of her legs. She squeaked and hastily wrapped Yuri’s cape around herself tighter.

“I fear I cannot go and exact my revenge dressed so! It would be a disgrace. Those dastards will have to go unassailed tonight until I am presentable,” she said woefully.

“Hapi, will you take Constance back to Abyss for me? I have business to attend to,” Yuri said and Hapi knew immediately from the glint in his eyes what business it was. And she was certainly not going to be left out of it.

“I think I know someone else who would be a better bodyguard, Coco. He can take you back while I help Yuri,” Hapi said.

“I do not require a bodyguard! My magic would make any foe tremble. I can fend for myself, thank you very much,” she replied. But as she walked towards the door of the greenhouse, her steps faltered and she tripped over the torn hem of her skirt, falling down to her knees and scraping her hands on the cobblestones.

While Yuri helped her back to her feet, Hapi ran out of the greenhouse to find that Dedue was still waiting patiently, his expression softened by concern.

“Is she unharmed?” he asked. “I am not adept at faith magic, but I do know a simple healing spell.”

“She’s okay, just shaken up and exhausted. Dedue, I know we just met and I have no right to ask you for a favor but-” Hapi paused. Was she being crazy asking him for help? He could be back at the ball right now celebrating with his friends like everyone else. He had no reason to give a damn about the Ashen Wolves. 

“How can I be of service?” he asked.

Reassured by kindness, she said, “My friend needs someone to help her back to Abyss. Is it too much to ask that you take her there for me? I need to help Yuri find whoever did this to her. You’ve been down there before, right? When Dimitri visited Yuri once?”

Dedue nodded. “I know the way.”

“Thank you,” Hapi replied with more earnestness than she was used to expressing. “I owe you one, okay? Seriously. Coco can be… a handful. But she’s kind and brave and Yuri and I… she’s family to us.”

A ghost of a smile passed across Dedue’s expression. “If you were acquainted with His Highness’s friends you would know that many of them are ‘a handful’ and it is nothing out of the ordinary for me.”

As Constance and Yuri came over, Hapi said, “Coco, this is our new friend Dedue. He’s Didi’s best friend. He’s gonna go with you back to Abyss. Yuri and I will be there in a bit.”

“I told you, I do not require assistance,” Constance protested.

“You just sprained your ankle with your little tumble, Shady Lady,” Yuri said. “And I’m not up to carrying you all the way. Let him help, damn it.”

She shot him a withering look. “Language, Yuri! Goodness gracious.” Looking at Dedue, Constance gave him a curtsey that normally would have been very graceful but was now clumsy by the stagger in her step and her very muddied skirts. “If my friends insist upon this unnecessary act, I have no choice but to thank you for your kindness, sir.”

Dedue gave her a short bow. “Allow me, Lady Nuvelle.” And with that, he scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed no more than a leaf. “Good luck,” he said to Yuri. “If you need anything, I know His Highness will help you. He will not stand for someone being treated so cruelly.”

“Thank you,” Yuri said. He sighed as Dedue carried Constance away and looked over at Hapi. “If she wasn’t so heavy in all those wet clothes I would have been the one carrying her home. But damn that woman. She would never have let me.”

Hapi elbowed Yuri and said, “So that’s who you wanted to dance with tonight, huh? You sly bastard. I had no idea.”

Yuri stiffened, straightening his jacket and brushing the dirt from his clothes. “Can you blame me? She’s-”

“Crazy.”

“Yes,” he said fondly. “Yes, she is.”

“Alright, enough chatter. Are we gonna go scare the shit out of these assholes or not?”

“Yes. Let’s get going. I have my suspicions already of who it was. I noticed several boys watching Constance as she was dancing with me. I asked Felix to keep tabs on them tonight.”

“You asked Twinkletoes Fraldarius? Why?”

“He looked miserable. Giving him a mission seemed to cheer him up.”

“Well he fucking failed didn’t he if they still got to Coco?”

Yuri shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for getting distracted by Sylvain.”

Resentfully, Hapi admitted that that was fair. Damn Sylvain Gautier.

Back at the ball, the party was still dazzling on unaware of the drama that had happened at the fishing pond. After searching for a minute, Yuri located Felix standing in the corner of the room, one hand resting on the hilt of his ceremonial sword and the other clenched into a fist at his side. He looked a little flushed and his hair, normally fixed into a neat bun, was suspiciously tousled.

“Fraldarius,” Yuri said with a curt, soldier-like nod.

“Leclerc,” Felix replied in kind.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where those lads went off to that I asked you to keep an eye out for?”

Felix’s face reddened even more. “I… lost track of them for a bit. I was… busy. But they came back to the hall a few minutes ago.” He pointed over to a gaggle of students lounging in the corner of the room with glasses of champagne, laughing amongst themselves. 

“Thanks,” Yuri said and turned away.

“Wait,” Felix said, jogging after him. “Are you going to fight them?”

Yuri did not reply.

“You’re going to fight them,” Felix said. “I want in. I’m bored out of my mind. Let me help.”

“I thought that thing was just for decoration,” Hapi said, gesturing at his sword. “Is it sharp enough to do damage?”

“I don’t need it. I have fists,” Felix said fiercely. 

“Yuri! Felix!” Dorothea said, stepping out of the crowd with a tipsy smile. “My two favorite troublemakers! Up to no good, I hope?”

“Yuri’s going to fight someone. You want in, Arnault?” Felix said to Hapi’s astonishment. She could not imagine a more unlikely friendship.

“Hell yes. Who and why?”

“Some boys dragged Coco down to the lake and threw her in,” Hapi explained.

Dorothea’s smile faded to a look that had a dangerous edge to it. She shoved her glass of champagne into someone’s hand and fell into step beside the three of them.

They slipped through the chaos towards the other side of the room where the young men stood, unaware of their impending doom. There were seven of them, Adrestrian from the look of them, but not in the Black Eagles house.

Dorothea sighed in disgust as she got close enough to recognize them. “The only thing worse than the son of a noble is the son of a minor house trying to feel powerful.”

“You know them?” Yuri asked.

“That one there,” she said, pointing at the boy who stood in the middle of the group with the posture of a leader. “His name is Ramsay. He’s the youngest son of House Oche. Tried to hit on me once and then spread rumors about me being a whore when I turned him down. Some of his little lackays followed me around for a week too just to scare me.”

“Bastard,” Felix muttered. “I was hoping for a worthy opponent. Maybe if I take on all seven it will at least be a little interesting.”

“He’s a swordsman but he does have a knack for warding spells. Your fists won’t be very effective against his defenses,” Dorothea said.

Yuri shot her an appreciative look. “Full of useful information as always, Thea.”

“Surprised someone knows more about what goes on in Garreg Mach than you?” she replied.

“You there,” Felix said, nodding at Hapi. “You use dark magic, right?”

She was shocked he even knew that much about her. “Yeah, what’s it to you?”

“Bait him into firing spells back at you so his ward loses energy.”

“I think you are all misunderstanding my intentions on a serious, fundamental level,” Yuri said. “We are not going to rough them up.” He stopped and turned around to face the three of them. “Everyone in Garreg Mach views us as a bunch of dangerous and untrustworthy criminals. Beating up some nobleman’s son is going to make that reputation worse.”

Felix scowled. “Then what are you going to do? Aren’t you going to avenge your friend?”

“Constance wasn’t hurt because she was manhandled into a pond. She was hurt because she was embarrassed. Vengeance is about paying back in kind. You see where I’m going with this?” he replied.

Dorothea laughed and glanced at Felix. “Looks like Yuri needs you to use your wits and wiles not your fists. Are you sure you're up to the challenge?”

“Hmph,” was the only reply Felix seemed to be able to think of.

“Thea, you’re pretty good pals with our future emperor aren’t you?” Yuri asked.

“Edie? ‘Pals’ is one way to put it," she answered.

“Excellent. Listen to me. I have an idea. I’ve been working on a very tricky spell and I think tonight’s the night I try it out. Constance is the one who invented it actually. We call it Foul Play.”

  
  


“Just one night,” Seteth muttered into his glass of what Hapi suspected was something much stronger than the watered down champagne the students got. “Just one ball where nothing troublesome happens. Is that too much to ask for?”

“Could be worse,” Manuela said, giving him a conciliatory pat on the shoulder which only made him stiffen uncomfortably. “Could be what happened last year. I doubt a few boys getting into a scrap over a misunderstanding will cause strongly worded letters to be flooded in from upset parents the way that did.”

“A scrap?” Seteth replied. "If that Oche boy hadn't thrown up a ward he'd be seriously injured. It's bad enough he's so addled by the hex he's babbling nonsense about teleportation spells. I would not call that a scrap. Hubert almost murdered someone!"

“He’s a Vestra,” Manuela said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “They do that. I once had a fling with-”

“Spare me your obscene stories, Manuela. I have had enough trials upon my patience tonight,” Seteth said, heaving a deep sigh and resting his forehead in his hand with a pained expression.

“I will. I have a date to go freshen up for, in fact. That man Balthus I met tonight was such an excellent dancer! So graceful on his feet for a man of his size! I am very excited to see what else he excels at,” Manuela said.

Hapi shook with silent laughter as she watched them through the vent in the wall of Seteth’s office. Felix poked her leg in annoyance and she whispered, “Fine. Let me down.”

Carefully lest they make any noise, Felix knelt down so Hapi could hop off her perch. He didn’t look pleased about her sitting on his shoulders to spy on Seteth but then again sweet Twinkletoes never look pleased about much of anything. 

“They don’t know we were behind it,” Hapi told him as they snuck back to the garden where the others were waiting.

“Good,” he said gruffly. “I have more important things to do than hassle with my father coming down here in person to lecture me.”

“Faerghus dads, am I right?” Hapi said.

Felix snorted. “You from Faerghus?”

“I’m not from anywhere,” she said. “I was summoned in a ritual by a coven of witches. They intended to summon a demon but instead they got me. So they abandoned me and left to try again somewhere else. That’s how I met Yuri. He found me in a dumpster, unconscious and covered in parsnip peels.”

For a second a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Felix’s stern mouth then he regained control of himself and his usual scowl returned. “Hmph.”

Hapi rolled her eyes and jogged after him to the gardens. When they reconvened with Yuri and Dorothea, Hapi relayed the information she gleaned from her and Felix’s spying mission and Yuri smiled proudly.

“Another successful escapade. Well done, friends.”

“We owe Balthus forty gold, though,” Hapi said.

“Seriously?”

Before she could tell him what she overheard Manuela say, footsteps startled them all and they froze with panic. Then Dedue, Mercedes and Constance emerged from the shadows and stepped into the moonlight. Hapi’s heart flooded with joy as she saw her friend dressed in a fresh noble uniform, her hair dried and coifed again, her makeup fixed and a confident smile on her lips.

“What mischief have you been up to, Yuri Leclerc?” she said, walking over and swatting his arm lightly with her fan.

He grinned at her and swept her up into an impulsive hug. With a startled squeak, Constance stiffened for a moment. Then she relaxed and hugged him back, resting her head gently on his shoulder.

“You look beautiful,” he said. 

“Since you are being uncharacteristically pleasant to me, I will allow you to dance with me, if you would like,” she said, pulling out of his arms and looking at him fondly.

“I would be honored,” he said, giving her a polite bow. Then he winked and added, “my Shady Lady.”

Constance scoffed and Mercedes and Dorothea laughed.

Walking over to Dedue, Hapi asked, “What happened?”

“We ran into Mercedes on the way back and she healed Constance’s ankle and lent her an extra uniform,” he explained. “Even though my mission was to escort her home, I instead took the liberty of bringing her back. I thought perhaps it would be kinder to end her night on a note of victory instead of defeat.”

“Thank you,” Hapi said. “Seriously, we Wolves owe you one.”

“You do not owe me anything. I am glad to be of help. Tell me, what transpired while I was gone? Felix looks strangely happy. Did he fight someone?”

“Not exactly,” Hapi said then related the story to Dedue.

He listened seriously but chuckled at the end. “It was good there was no fight, though.”

“I guess, yeah,” Hapi replied. She hesitated then asked, “You, uh, want to go see if there’s any food left?” 

Dedue nodded and fell into step beside her as she returned with the others to the ballroom. 

With the determined resilience of a party unwilling to stop for anything, the Garreg Mach Ball was still in full swing and as they rejoined it, everyone was too busy talking about The Incident to give them any looks of suspicion or concern.

Yuri led Coco out into the middle of the dance floor and waltzed elegantly with her until the music picked up tempo and they were soon spinning around together and laughing. At one point, it looked like he might have stolen a kiss from her, but Hapi wasn’t sure. It was still very bright and very overwhelming in the room and if it weren’t for Dedue’s calm presence beside her anchoring her, she might have ended up hiding on a balcony alone again.

“You are lucky to have such friends,” Dedue said after several minutes of silence.

Hapi swallowed her mouthful of food and glanced up at him. “Yeah, I am.”

“His Highness has always been too burdened by the requirements of his station to have many friends. It is my hope-” Dedue paused, as if a little surprised himself at his lack of reticence. Hapi waited patiently until he continued. “It would be beneficial for him to surround himself with good people, people he can trust, who look out for each other. We Blue Lions are a small class, but if you were to join us…”

Hapi laughed nervously. “Not sure anyone else would like that idea very much. Maybe they’d like Yuri and Coco, but me? Haven’t you heard? I’m dangerous.”

“I fear that dark times might lie ahead of us,” Dedue said solemnly. “His Highness will need comrades who will stand bravely by his side. I cannot think of a better person than someone dangerous but also loyal to the people they love.”

For a good solid minute, Hapi was too overwhelmed to speak. Emotion choked in her throat and she stared down at the pastry in her hand. She was terrified that tears might come to her eyes but to her immense relief she managed to blink them away.

“Hapi?” Dedue asked. “Have I said something to offend you?”

“I- It’d be-” Hapi stammered, then took a drink of champagne to clear her throat and said, “That sounds pretty alright.”

  
  


The morning after the ball when Hapi walked nervously into the dining hall and sat down in the empty spot next to Dedue at the Blue Lions table she couldn’t quite work up the courage to speak much. But she ate the delicious cinnamon rolls Dedue and Mercedes baked gratefully and listened as Sylvain recounted the events of the night in great theatrical detail to Dimitri, who apparently missed the whole thing because he had left early.

Hapi listened with a small smile and at one point when she glanced over at Felix and caught his eye, she could have sworn he smiled a bit too.

She reckoned the story would die off eventually after some other drama occured, but for now she enjoyed listening to it. And more than anything she enjoyed seeing Coco walk into the dining hall, one hand holding her parasol but the other resting demurely on Yuri’s arm.

  
  
  


_The Incident:_

It had been a simple plan. Yuri always insisted that the cleverest plans were.

Felix seemed skeptical as he and Hapi approached Ramsay Oche and his gang, but Hapi knew better than to doubt Yuri.

“You,” Felix said, striding up to Ramsay and poking him in the chest aggressively. “Fight me.”

“What?” Ramsay said, looking down at him in disdain. Felix, a good foot shorter, glared up at him.

“Why would I do that?” Ramsay asked.

“Because I’m bored and everyone says you’re a good fighter. So prove it.”

“I-” Ramsay began but noticed the way his friends were looking at him.

“What? Scared?” Felix taunted.

“Come on, Ramsay,” one of the boys said. “You don’t think you can take him?”

“I don’t know,” another said. “He did win the White Heron Cup. Somehow twirling around in that little outfit is supposed to make him a good swordsman.”

They all snickered and Felix looked like he might actually combust with rage.

“Balcony. Now,” he spat.

Ramsay sighed and set down his glass of champagne. “Whatever. This ball is getting tedious.” He took off his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves. “Kicking your skinny ass might be at least mildly entertaining.” He glanced at Hapi. “What do you want, bitch?”

“I owe him a favor so I said I’d come along to heal him up when he loses,” Hapi said.

Goaded on by his friends, Ramsay followed Felix out onto the balcony and drew his sword, its dull polished blade gleaming in the moonlight.

“You six get out of here. I don’t want you interfering,” Felix growled at the other boys.

They lingered until Ramsay nodded at them. “Rules of a fair fight, gentlemen. Besides, it will be too crowded with all of us out here. We need room for Fraldarius to show off his fancy dance moves.”

The boys retreated from the balcony and Hapi stood in the doorway, leaning against it to block them. 

Senses dulled by liquor and distracted by the duel, Ramsay didn’t notice that on a nearby balcony Edelgard von Hresvelg, future emperor of Adrestria, was being pulled aside by her friend Dorothea to talk. And he definitely didn’t see that hiding in the shadows on that balcony was Yuri.

Hapi couldn’t see him either from her vantage point but she trusted that he was there, waiting, preparing his spell, ready to spring the trap at any second. It was a complicated spell to say the least – Coco’s intricate creations always were – but if anyone could pull it off it was Yuri.

“Bring it,” Felix told Ramsay. “First one to land two hits wins.”

Ramsay lunged at him and Felix fumbled drawing his sword, falling back a step and dodging away. Hapi had seen him dance at the White Heron Cup; Felix never fumbled. He was playing his part well. Maybe she had underestimated his craftiness.

Finally he got his sword out and clumsily blocked a strike from Ramsay. Giving more ground, he circled around the balcony until Ramsay was right where he wanted him. Then he stumbled, giving his opponent the perfect opening.

Ramsay charged. Magic flickered. Yuri appeared where Ramsay had been standing a split-second ago and on the other balcony Dorothea screamed and threw herself bravely in front of Edelgard, defending her as Ramsay careened towards them with his sword drawn.

The gang of boys heard the scream and ran off towards it and Hapi and Felix raced over to the edge of the balcony with Yuri, ducking down and peering over the railing to watch the show.

Before Ramsay could even process what was happening and realize that he was about to hit his future emperor, a warp spell shimmered and Hubert materialized onto the balcony like a wrathful demon, a violet cloud of dark magic burning around him. With a gasp and a cry, Ramsay tried to stagger out of the way in terror but he was engulfed in magic before he could make it a single step.

“Hubert!” Edelgard cried. "Let him go!"

“Oh thank the goddess!” Dorothea gasped dramatically. “We're saved!"

“What is going on out here?” Ferdinand von Aegir shouted, bolting out onto the balcony.

In the ensuing chaos, it wasn’t too difficult for Yuri, Hapi and Felix to sneak away and when they finally made it out of the ballroom, Yuri smiled and clapped Felix on the back.

“Thanks for your help, friend.”

“Anytime,” he mumbled.

“I’m going to go scout around and make sure no one suspects us Wolves,” Yuri said. “You two go stake out Seteth until you find out if he thinks we’re involved.”

Felix nodded with the air of a soldier taking orders on the battlefield. As he walked off, Hapi lingered for a moment and looked at Yuri. He gave her a small smile but there was still sorrow in his eyes.

“I just wanted her to be happy,” he said.

“Yeah me too.”

Before Yuri could turn away, Hapi caught his arm and said, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“I wanted to beat the shit out of those boys. I thought you did too. But you…” She second-guessed herself for a moment. She didn’t have Yuri’s knack for saying the right thing. But she persevered because he deserved it. “Sometimes protecting us does mean fighting. But you’re a good leader because you know when it doesn’t. Unloading all my spells on those boys would only have made things worse; you’re right. So thanks. You’re a good friend, Yuri. I’m glad I’m one of your pack.”

“Me too,” he said. 

As Hapi looked away, uncomfortable by her own sincerity, Yuri laughed and said, “You think she’ll be proud of us or absolutely livid at what we did?”

“It’s Coco. Who knows.”

Yuri sighed. “Yeah.”

**Author's Note:**

> Love Fire Emblem and writing and want to make a new friend? Hit me up on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lalexanderwrite).


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